The Hidden Moon
by Cassiopeia Black
Summary: When a girl shows up at Grimmauld Place, she is taken in for questioning, but what will they discover? This is the story of Tala- Her life, her destiny, and her curse.
1. Captured

Author's Note: Hello! I have decided to rewrite this. I just don't like it anymore. It was too Mary Sue. :( Okay, well, enjoy the new version.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Unspoken Secrets**

**Chapter One:** Captured

A young girl sat on a cliff overlooking the ocean and watched as the sun set. The clouds were changing slowly changing colors, from yellow, to orange, to a soft, purplish-pink.

She smiled slightly as it slid below the horizon the stars became brighter. Familiar constellations stood out, including Leo and Canis Major. Her favorite star, Sirius, the Dog Star, shone brighter than ever as she gathered up her things.

She idly kicked a stone over the edge and watched as it fell down to the dark depths below, disappearing into the churning water.

The path through the forest was dark and gloomy, but she had walked it many times and knew that there was nothing to fear. She would remember to pick up her feet in a particularly rocky area and to duck whenever the branches were low.

It was not long before she had reached the other end and was looking out over a deserted town. The buildings were few and close together, with only a few old houses. Legends told of how the town was haunted by spirits and ghosts, but that only profited the girl, for this is where she lived, and where she had lived for many years.

She jogged down to the old Victorian house where she usually slept. For years she had been building it up, using wood form the forest while all of the other things she needed were in the other houses or the old drug store.

She climbed the stairs to the wrap-around porch, making sure that she did not step on any rotted areas, and swung open the old screen door. A slight breeze blew through the house.

She stopped and looked around, but she did not see or hear anything. She proceeded to the kitchen and put her things on the counter. The kitchen was the room she had worked hardest on and it had paid off. The wooden walls and floor shone with a polish she had found in the attic and the counters gleamed in the moonlight.

Breathing in the smell of the fresh ocean breeze, she smiled. Unconsciously, her ears perked up and she heard a soft creak from the hallway. Ducking behind the island, she held her breath.

The door opened and somebody stepped inside. They walked around until the girl thought she might have to move to stay hidden, but there the footsteps stopped. She kept holding her breath, waiting for the right moment.

She could see a pair of shiny black shoes moving closer. Mentally reprimanding herself for doing something so stupid, she grabbed the stranger's ankles and pulled hard. They lost their balance and fell. She jumped to her feet and ran down the hall. A tall man in a hooded cloak stepped in front of her and pulled out a stick of wood, pointing is directly at her heart.

Without thinking she reached out, grabbed the stick, and broke it over her knee before turning into a separate room. She threw open the window and climbed through, dropping the seven feet to the ground and taking off at a sprint towards the path in the woods.

It was pitch black in the trees as she ran, pushing leaves and branches out of her way. She could hear the crunching of the men's feet as the chased her and silent tears fell down her face.

'_Who are they and what so they want with me?'_ she frantically wondered as she ran out towards the cliff where she had been earlier.

There was shouting from behind her and she knew that there was nowhere to run. They would catch her, but what did that really mean? She didn't know who they were and what they wanted from her, so she couldn't be sure it would be bad. Maybe they were just some people passing through.

'_But what was with the cloaks and the stick?'_

She turned just as the men came out of the forest. With nowhere to run, she simply stood there and gazed at them as the one closest to her took out a stick from his pocket and pointed it at her. After a moment of curiosity, a bright red light issued from the stick in his hand and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

O O

Something cold and wet hit the girl's face as she snapped her eyes open, but she immediately regretted this as a sharp pain shot through her skull.

Water dripped from her face as she peered into the face of her captor, but all she saw was a black mask. Cold grey eyes glared down at her through the slits.

Her thoughts blurred together and she couldn't string together a sentence. She didn't know where she was, why she was here, or who had taken her. She didn't know anything at the moment, not even her name. Everything was a haze in her mind.

The man leaned down and hauled her to her feet. The sudden movement caused her to feel light-headed and dizzy as he led her to another room.

It seemed to be a cell of some sort, with stone walls, ceiling, and floor. There were no windows.

"Stay here, and stay quiet," the man hissed as he threw her to the ground, closed the door, and locked it.

The girl shrank into the shadows, staying quiet as told. Who knew what these people could do to her if she tried to escape.

Using all of her concentration, she tried to piece together the last things she remembered. There were men in her house.. Men in cloaks with some sort of sticks... they attacked her and she ran to the cliff. One of them pulled out another stick and a red light shot out of it.

Her mind became more awake and her senses sharpened as sat and thought.

It seemed hours before the men came back. They set down a piece of bread and some water before leaving again. She greedily grabbed at it and ate it down, still pondering why she was there.

She slept that night on the cold stone floor, trying to salvage some kind of comfortable position, but her attempts were in vain. She couldn't sleep that night, or any other night that she stayed in that horrid place.

At times, a few men would come in with their sticks and say things in a different language. These visits were feared by the girl because they often ended with her nursing bruises, cuts, scrapes, scars, and sometimes a broken limb.

This went on forever, or at least that's how it seemed to the girl. She didn't wonder anymore. She only prayed that this wouldn't be her life. She prayed that somebody would save her, but she did not have much faith in her prayers.

Except one day, after a particularly harsh visit. A vague picture of the man standing in the corner flashed before her eyes. He had pale, sallow skin and extremely greasy hair. His eyes were almost as black and cold as the cell she had been living in.

He had been the last to leave, and that was when the girl first noticed something. The door didn't click like it usually did when they left. He hadn't locked it. The corners of her mouth twitched in what she used to call a grin, but she hadn't grinned in ages.

Without a proper way to measure time, she had to wait to hear the snores of the watchman until she could risk it. As the first sound of his deep breathing drifted through the thick wooden door, she crept over to it and edged it open. Thankfully, it was well-oiled and didn't make any sound as she opened it a bit more and squeezed through it.

She quickly stole through the almost dungeon-like labyrinth that she had unknowingly been in. Surprisingly, she found some stairs rather quickly and flew up them, practically running to find the door out. Without thinking she ran right through the hallways and doors of the building, not caring if she was seen. She had to get out.

She ran through a kitchen and vaguely registered that there were four men at the table talking. They barely looked up as she flew past and ran through the door to the outside world. Fresh, clean air hit her face as she kept running. The soft grass rippled in the wind and tickled her feet slightly as she went towards the forest in the distance. Rays of red light danced around her as the people casting them cursed. The trees were getting closer and closer and until she ran right into them, breaking twigs and branches as she went.

Not daring to look back, she only increased her speed, and she kept running until the woods became too thick and she couldn't see, so she was forced to turn before she could keep running. After a while, the trees began to thin and she stopped at the edge, panting heavily from the exertion.

A few street lamps illuminated the small neighborhood full of old townhouses. Some of them had missing shutters and broken windows, but it strongly reminded the girl of her home as she ventured out of the trees. Staying to the shadows, she crept around the houses, looking for an empty one.

An all too familiar pain coursed through her body as she looked up at the full moon, slightly covered by some clouds. Her nails grew longer and sharper as hair sprouted all over her body. With a piercing howl, her body elongated and fangs grew in place of her teeth. Within seconds, she was a fully fledged werewolf.

Instinctively, she ran into the forest, a thirst to kill, to taste blood rising up in inside her. All night long she ran through the woods, clawing at the trees and dirt. As the sun peeked over the horizon, there was a loud, heavy howl filled the crisp morning air and the girl froze. She recognized that howl; she herself had issued it many times. There was another werewolf nearby.

After the painful transformation back into her human form, her clothes now dirty and torn, she cautiously stepped out of the trees and into the sunlight, slowly reaching a hand up to shield her eyes.

A tall man with light brown hair appeared out of nowhere and wearily staggered over to a decomposed fence, leaning against it with all his weight. His skin was pale and there were slight bags under his eyes. He looked exhausted.

The girl stepped back into the trees, but a loud crack resounded across the street as she stepped back onto a twig. The man jerked his head up, revealing two very bright golden eyes. She froze, immediately recognizing the color and shape of his eyes.

He, too, pulled out a stick and waved it around. For a moment, he peered at her hiding place, but he turned away and the girl breathed a sigh of relief. Little did she know that the man had seen her. As he walked back towards wherever he had come from, he quickly spun around and cast a stunning spell directly at the girl. She fell to the ground, unconscious yet again.

O O

"Well what are we going to do with her?" a woman asked fervently.

"I don't know. We will decide when she wakes up," answered a very calm male voice.

"Well, until then, when do you think she will wake up?" another male asked coolly.

"I do not know Sirius. Thought it does look like she might be coming around," the calm voice said.

The girl groggily opened her eyes and saw the blurry faces of many people around her. She instinctively jerked back and away from them. As her vision became sharper, she saw a man with pale skin; long, black hair; and deep grey eyes move closer to her. His eyes widened.

"Oh my God," he muttered, looking between her and a man sitting in the corner. Casting a glance at him, she recognized him as the man that had stunned her.

"What is it Sirius?" the woman asked worriedly.

"Her eyes... they– they look exactly like Moony's," he muttered. There was a gasp as the woman did the same movement of looking between the girl and the man in the corner.

"Sirius? If you don't mind...," the calm male voice interjected.

"Oh, of course Albus."

The man stood up and walked to the corner, trying vainly to start up a conversation with the man there, who kept staring at the girl, lost in his own thoughts.

"Miss, do you have a name?" the man asked as he sat next to her. He had piercing blue eyes, half-moon spectacles, and long, flowing silver hair.

Swallowing a few times to moisten her throat, the girl answered tentatively. "Tala."

"Tala... Tala..." he repeated, rolling it on his tongue. "I believe that it means 'wolf' in American Indian, correct?" She nodded and he continued. "Well, you have a very pretty name Miss Tala. Do you have a last name?"

She shook her head slightly. "I never knew my real name."

He cocked his head. "My dear... is that a Scottish accent I hear on your tongue?" She nodded again and he smiled. "Very peculiar indeed," he muttered. "Well, I am Professor Albus Dumbledore. One of my associates"– he gestured to the man in the corner, who was still staring blankly at the wall–"found you outside and brought you into our humble abode."

He continued to smile at her, but she did not return it. For all she knew, these people could be just like the ones that had held her before.

"If you don't mind my asking, sir, how exactly did he do that to me?" she asked softly. The man with dark hair, who she assumed was called Sirius, looked at her with an air of surprise.

"This could take some time to explain. How about if I make a deal with you Miss Tala. I will tell you all that you want to know, as long as it is information you are permitted to know, if you tell me what brought you here."

She thought about it for a moment before nodding and starting her tale. "I live in an abandoned town, only going to the city for supplies when needed. For years now, I've been rebuilding some of the old, broken-down houses so that I could live in them. One day, I was out by the cliff painting, and when I came back home, there were men there. They had cloaks and carried thin wooden sticks like he used," she said, nodding her head in the man's direction. "I ran to the cliff, but they somehow knocked me unconscious.

I don't know how long I was there exactly." She paused, trying to think of how many transformations she had gone through in that wretched place. "At least nine months," she answered confidently. _'It had to have been nine months.. I had at least_ _nine transformations...' _she thought vaguely before continuing."Men would visit me in the cell I stayed in. They also used certain words to cause me pain. This went on every day until a new man came with them. He did not lock the door when he left, whether he forgot or he did it on purpose, I don't know, but I escaped, and that was last night. I was running through the woods, when–" She froze.

"When?" he prodded gently.

"No, you're going to think I've completely lost my mind. It's extremely hard to believe," she stammered. Dumbledore smiled at her encouragingly.

"Well, I have a wider range of beliefs than you might think, so please continue."

She bit the inside of her cheek and looked around. _'What else am I going to do? They took me in, be it for good reasons or foul. But not even my old captors knew about this...'_

"I'm–" she let out a breath of air she had been holding. "I'm a werewolf," she said quickly and softly.

To her surprise, Dumbledore continued smiling. "Well, that must explain why Remus here heard another howl last night," he said cheerily.

Tala gawped at him. Was he really going to just accept it like that? And how would Remus know about a fellow werewolf?

Her thoughts were interrupted however, by Sirius walking towards her again. He sat by her on the bed and tentatively reached a hand out and touched her cheek.

"I suppose your captors gave you these?" he asked darkly. Tala nodded sadly and he sighed.

"Can we do something about this Albus?"

"Yes, yes, of course. I shall get someone to heal her right away."

"Sir?" she interrupted.

"Yes Tala?" Dumbledore inquired kindly.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked in a small, frightened voice.

His eyes filled with concern as he leant down next to her. "My dear, we are not going to do anything to you except feed you, heal you, and make sure you are healthy and well once again."

A tear fell from the corner of Tala's eye, because somehow, she knew that he was sincere.

"Sirius, would you help Miss Tala to her room?"

Sirius nodded and helped Tala stand. Once there was pressure on her ankle, she crumpled. It was one of the results from the previous night, and she thought that it might be broken.

Sirius grunted as she fell, but quickly recovered as he swooped down and picked her up bridal-style, carrying her with ease down the hall. She wound her arms around his neck as they walked and he smiled down at her. They soon reached another door and he opened it with a slight kick. The room was fairly large and had bunk-beds against one wall, and an empty portrait on another.

He walked over to the bed and set her down, but she would not let go of his neck.

"I don't know your name," she stated simply. He looked her in the eye for a moment.

"Sirius Black, it's nice to meet you," he said with a warm smile.

"Tala. Sorry I can't give you anything more."

"Tala is more than enough," he said softly.

She released him and he walked to the door. "We'll get somebody in here to heal you soon Tala. But don't worry, I'll be back. I'm not that easy to get rid of," he said with a cheeky smile. He opened the door but Tala called him back.

"Sirius!"

"Yes?" he said, turning in the doorway and looking at her curiously.

"Thank you."

He froze and looked at her with his head slightly tilted. A grin slid over his lips. With a quick nod a click from the closing of the door, he was gone.


	2. The Infamous House of Black

Author's Note: Did you like the last chapter? Anyone? Okay, well, I hope you did, because I like it a whole lot better. But enough of that! On with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

**Unspoken Secrets**

**Chapter Two:** The Infamous House Of Black

"Remus," Sirius said menacingly as he stalked back into the room. "Did you know about her?"

Remus nodded his head slightly and sighed, finally removing his gaze from the spot on the wall that he had been staring at for over an hour. "Yes."

Sirius sat next to him with a huff. He knew that Remus didn't want to talk about it, so he decided to change the subject slightly.

"She looks just like you," he whispered after a pause.

"Does she?"

"Remus! Didn't you look at her? She's your bloody daughter!"

"We don't know that for sure."

"It hasn't been proven but that doesn't mean it's not true. I mean, even you couldn't deny that she looks exactly like you!"

"I wouldn't know. I only looked at her once or twice."

"You may have looked at her, but you didn't see her," Sirius said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"You looked and saw an orphaned girl who's body was littered with cuts and bruises. You saw a girl that needed help. You saw a girl that looked about ready to drop to the ground in exhaustion, but you didn't _see _that she looks just like you. You didn't _see_ that she talks, acts, and walks like you. You didn't see that she's your daughter, Rem. How could you look at her, and not see her?"

Remus opened his mouth as if he was going to answer, but then he stopped. Sirius was right. He had looked at her, but he hadn't seen her.

"You're right Padfoot," he mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes. "I didn't."

"Well that's something I haven't heard for a long time. Remus Lupin saying that Sirius Black is right. I really have to remember this moment," he joked.

"Oh, come off it. Where did you put her?"

"She's in Harry's room, mate. You'll like her, really. She's just like you," he said fondly.

"Sirius, you've only known her for a few hours, and she's only been awake for a fraction of that time!" Remus exclaimed.

"It doesn't take long to get to know someone Remmy," he retorted, half-joking, half-serious.

"And how, pray tell, did she win you over so easily?"

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. "When I was carrying her to her room... she wrapped her arms around my neck and moved closer to my chest... It was like she already trusted me. But– when I was about to leave– she thanked me."

Remus smirked slightly. "She thanked you? For what?"

"Everything," he replied mildly. "And don't laugh. It's something you would do. Now, go talk to her before I hex you into next week!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down you short-tempered animal."

"Hey! I resent that! Dogs happen to be very friendly, very loyal animals!"

"Sure Sirius," Remus said, amusement evident in his tone. Sirius was going to say something else, but Remus left the room and closed the door with a soft click behind him.

* * *

Tala sat up in her bed and tentatively reached up and touched her ears. They had a habit of staying pointy after her transformation.

Sure enough, there was s harp point where the rounded tip of her ear should have been. She sighed.

Lifting up her pant legs slightly, she gingerly probed her ankle, cursing under her breath when she felt the broken bone. As she lifted the cloth further up her leg, she saw the myriad of other cuts, bruises, scabs, and scars. Before she had been captured, she would have never thought that being tortured without actually being touched would leave so many marks.

She ran her fingers over her leg, shivering at how cold they were. There was a soft creak and she looked up.

The man that had stunned her stood in the doorway. He closed the door silently and walked closer to her. Tala didn't move as he sat down next to her on the bed, looking at her intently.

There was a long pause. Tala slowly started to cover her leg again, but he stopped her.

"Is it broken?" he asked as his hand reached out to feel the area. Tala jerked back at his touch. He looked up at her and she thought he looked somehow hurt.

"Yes, it is. I'm sorry, but I don't know your name."

"Remus Lupin."

"Tala."

He nodded, but his gaze never left her face. Sirius was right. She did look exactly like him.

Her bright golden eyes looked at him curiously, wondering what he was looking at. She tilted her head down slightly and her chin-length, light brown hair fell into her eyes. He smiled slightly as he looked at the ends of her hair. The last inch or so of it was dyed orange, along with her bangs, making her eyes stand out even more. Her skin was pale and there were slight bags under her eyes.

"Tala..." he began.

"Yes?"

He bit back his words. Should he tell her?

"I– I mean I'm–" He was interrupted as the door opened again. It was Sirius.

He smiled at them both and sat down opposite Remus. "You told her yet Moony?" he asked, emphasizing the last word.

Tala gaped. "I _knew_ there was another one close by!"

"Knew there was another what?" Remus asked.

"You're a werewolf!"

"How did you know that?" Sirius asked with a smirk.

"Well, when I saw him earlier, he looked so tired and worn out. He looked basically how I look after a full moon. And when I was in the woods last night, I heard a howl, a werewolf howl. And just now you called him Moony."

Sirius smiled at her. "I _told_ you she was just like you," he said smugly.

"Be quiet Sirius. Honestly, you can be so childish."

"What? I have to stay in this old house for months and you won't allow me to have any fun once in awhile?" he asked indignantly.

"Well you don't need to do it at someone else's expense!"

"My dear Remus, you forget that I am a Marauder! I hope you still remember that you are one also."

"I haven't forgotten, I'd just hoped that you might have matured since you were sixteen, but that would obviously be asking too much."

"You know me too well old friend."

Tala giggled at their argument. They fought like an old married couple. They both turned their heads.

"Something funny?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because I could go for a good laugh."

"Well then you had better look in a mirror, because I'm laughing at you."

His mouth fell open in. Remus tried to stifle his laughter, but he was failing miserably.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh and ruffled her hair. "You really are your father's daughter."

Tala stiffened. "You knew my father?"

"Of course I do!"

Remus sent him an icy glare that silenced Sirius immediately. Obviously, Remus didn't want her to know yet.

"Do you know where he is?"

"No, I'm sorry."

She grinned slightly and sighed. "That's okay... I guess it doesn't really matter anyways. It's not like I'm used to having a parental figure around."

Tala reached up and tucked her hair behind her ears. Sirius gasped. "Don't your ears change back to normal after the full moon?"

"Oh," she said, gently touching the tip of her ear. "They sometimes stay pointed. It doesn't really matter though..."

"No, no it doesn't," Remus said as he pulled her closer to him until she was leaning back against his chest.

Sirius chuckled and ruffled her hair. "I'm just saying Remmy, there's no need to get all offended or anything."

Remus snorted. "For your information, my ears sometimes do that too."

"Really?" Tala and Sirius asked simultaneously. Remus nodded. "Cool!"

There was an awkward silence. "So.." Tala started. "How do you two know each other?"

"We went to school together," Sirius said simply as a spark ignited in his eyes. "Tala... have you ever done anything... strange? Something you couldn't quite explain?" he asked eagerly.

Tala thought about it for a minute. It had happened on many occasions.. She had accidentally dropped some things over the cliff when they suddenly flew back into her hands... and another time, she had wanted to get to the second story when the stairs were still dangerous to use, and she somehow found herself sitting on the roof..

"Yes," she said slowly. "Yes, it has happened a few times. Why?"

Sirius smirked and looked at Remus, who sent him another glare. Sirius frowned slightly, disappointed that he couldn't tell her anything, even though Remus seemed very happy.

"Well Tala, your mother was a witch. Sirius and I are wizards, along with the other people staying in this house," Remus explained. "You go to school to perfect your skills. Hogwarts is where we went to school. The finest there is."

"But.." She was having trouble comprehending what they had said. "How?"

Remus smiled at her. Sirius had gotten up and pulled her to her feet and away from Remus. Pulling her up in a swift hug, he spin her around.

Once they had calmed down, Tala had some questions to ask. "What kind of things do you learn?"

"Oh! Remus, can I show her? Please?" Sirius begged, looking a lot like a puppy.

Remus grinned and nodded. Sirius smiled and took a stick out of his pocket. "This, Tala, is a wand. Every wizard or witch has a wand," he said while showing it to her. She nodded for him to continue. "Well, let's do something simple.. Hmm.." He mumbled something under his breath and sparks and flowers erupted from the tip of his wand. Tala gasped as he handed them to her.

"Please, show me something else," she pleaded. Sirius obliged. Mumbling something else she couldn't hear, he turned a piece of paper on the floor into mouse, and then back into a sheet of paper. He stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.

"I've got it!" he cried. He ran outside to the hall and closed the door. "Ready?" he called.

"Oh no, what is he doing now?" Remus muttered.

Tala smiled gleefully. "Ready!" she called back. There was a loud pop and she looked up to see Sirius in her lap.

"How did you do that!"

"Apparation," he said as he stood up. "Transporting from one place to another. Fun, huh?"

She nodded and he laughed again.

"Sirius, you're acting like an excited puppy. Calm down," Remus chided, even though he too was laughing.

"Thanks for the idea Rem!"

"Oh no, Sirius–" But Remus was too late. Sirius had already walked to the center of the room.

"Now, Tala, what I am about to show you is in the strictest confidence. You promise to keep it a secret?"

"I promise."

He smiled. All Tala saw was a blur where Sirius was standing before a huge black dog bounded over to her and started licking her face.

She reached up and patted its head. It made a satisfied growling noise from the bottom of its throat as she moved to rub its ears. Remus glared at it and raised an eyebrow.

"You just love attention, don't you?" he asked the dog, who nodded.

"Um, why are you talking to it?"

"I'm talking to him because he is being _childishly arrogant_," Remus said with a smirk. The dog had a look of indignation on its face.

"You mean... Sirius?"

He nodded happily as Tala started to laugh. "Brilliant!"

He moved so that his head was resting in her lap before turning back into a human and looking up at her.

"So what do you think of my amazing abilities?"

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing. "Actually, I preferred you as a dog. At least you didn't talk as much," she giggled.

Remus snorted behind her and Sirius fake glared at her.

"But your human form is much more fun," she finished.

"Why thank you."

"So.. How long have you been able to do that?" she asked.

"Since school. James and I learned how to do it when we found out about Remus being a werewolf. He protested, but we learned it in the end. Had a lot of fun roaming around at night, too."

"Was it hard?"

"Piece of cake. Well, it was for me and James... Peter had a lot of trouble," he spat.

"Peter?"

Sirius growled menacingly and Tala realized how much like his Animagus form he really was.

"I'll tell you later Tala," Remus whispered. There was a knock on the door and they all looked up. "Come in," Remus called.

A woman dressed entirely in white entered looking very tired. "Hello Sirius, Remus. How have you been?" she asked kindly, looking at Remus' as she said it.

"We've been alright Madame Pomfrey. I'm guessing you're here to see Tala?" She nodded curtly. "Very well then, I suppose we have to leave. We'll be back right after she leaves," he whispered to Tala.

The door closed with a soft click behind them. The woman turned to Tala and pulled out a large bag of bottles. Tala noticed that they were all filled with colorful liquids.

"Hello Dear. My name is Madame Pomfrey. I am a nurse at the school. Albus summoned me to see to your injuries."

"Hello," she replied softly.

"Well, first thing's first."

Madame Pomfrey walked closer and pulled out her wand. Tala turned so that her ankle was showing. "I think it's broken," she said. The nurse nodded and whispered something. Tala felt a slight pain in her ankle as her bones repaired themselves.

It took nearly an hour for Madame Pomfrey to fully heal her. She forced Tala to drink hideous potions with awful tastes, smells, and colors.

"Alright Dear, one more thing. This will take care of your scars," she said as she handed Tala a neon orange vile. "It will hurt, but only for a moment."

Tala nodded and uncorked it. She swallowed it in one gulp, but it was a few seconds before she could feel anything. Wherever she had a scar, her skin burned. It felt like forever before it subsided.

Madame Pomfrey smiled at her. "Perfect. I'm done here."

"Thank you," Tala said, truly meaning it.

"You're welcome dear." She left the room before Tala could say anything else.

She stood up and looked around the room a bit, testing out her healed ankle. Amazingly, she couldn't feel any pain. There were no cuts or bruises on her back, legs, or arms. She stretched a bit, trying to get the feel of her somehow new skin.

A small sliver of sunlight was coming through a very dirty window. Tala cracked it open, smiling as the warm May breeze tickled her face.

She looked down and remembered that she was still wearing her filthy, tattered clothes from when she was captured. Surprisingly, they had lasted the nine months she had been there. Sifting through the dresser near the window, she found some baggy black cargo pants and a big t-shirt.

She gratefully put them on, feeling like a new person. Walking back over to the bed, she noticed a small mirror on the night-stand. She lifted it up and looked critically at her short, light brown hair. She ran her fingers through it as a make-shift comb and sighed. Setting the mirror back on the table, she crawled up to the top bunk. There was a creak from the door and two sets of footsteps.

"Tala?"

She peaked over the side of the bed and watched Remus and Sirius walk around the room looking for her.

"Don't ever join the detective business," she commented jokingly.

"Hey! Moony, she's over here," Sirius called over to Remus, who was walking back into the hall.

Sirius smiled warmly at her and reached his arms up to help her down. She slid down and put her hands on his shoulders as his held her waist, slowly lowering her to the floor.

Remus walked over to them and smiled fondly, but didn't say anything.

"Well, if Rems isn't going to say anything, than I will. You look loads better without your scars Tala."

"Um.. Thanks. I think."

Sirius chuckled and ruffled her hair. "You're welcome. Where'd you get those clothes anyway?"

"Oh, I found them in the dresser over there."

"They're probably Harry's," Remus commented as he looked at her new clothes.

"Who's Harry?" Tala asked as she looked between them. She noticed a happy spark ignite in Sirius' eyes.

"Harry, my dear Tala, is my godson."

There was a pause before Tala spoke again. "Would you like to elaborate on that answer?"

Remus laughed and left the room. "I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder.

"Moony... always wants to do things the practical way. He probably went to get you a picture. Oh well, I'll tell you all the good things. You see," he began as they sat on the bed, crossing his legs as if he were going to tell a story to a young child, "When Remmy and I were in school, we had another mate named James. Couldn't find a better man anywhere. He was smart, funny, handsome, kind, and any other good quality you could name.

Well, he was madly in love with Lily Evans, who hated his guts up until our seventh year, when she started to date him. A little while after we got out of school, they got married, and about a year later, they had a son named Harry. I was of course named Godfather, and if anything happened to me, the position would be moved to Remus.

Anyway, when Harry was one, James and Lily were murdered by Voldemort, the same man that captured you," he growled as his eyes clouded. "He was sent to live with his aunt, uncle, and cousin until he turned eleven and started to go to Hogwarts. Thankfully, he only has to spend his summers there now, though he'll usually come here for the last few weeks."

Sirius smiled slightly as his eyes looked off into the distance. "Harry's just like his father, but he can sometimes have a temper like his mother. He's got messy black hair like James and bright, emerald-green eyes like Lily. He's about fifteen now. Plays quidditch too."

Tala was about to ask what quidditch was when Remus came back into the room with a photo album.

"Here we are," he said as he handed it to Tala. She opened the front cover and gasped as she saw that the pictures were moving.

"This one's Harry, right?" she asked, pointing with a long slender finger to a boy that fit Sirius' description.

"Yep, that's him alright," Sirius said proudly.

"Who are these people next to him?" she asked, looking at a boy with flaming red hair to Harry's left, and a girl with extremely bushy brown hair on his other side.

"Well, the girl is Hermione, and the boy is Ron. They're Harry's best mates."

She nodded vaguely as she turned the pages, watching as the people in the photographs waved and smiled at her. The pictures showed Harry and his friends growing up.

"Where'd you get all these pictures?"

"Eh? Oh, we picked them up from other students. Mainly a kid called Colin Creevey. That kid goes nuts when he has a camera in his hands," Sirius mumbled next to her.

"Sirius, when do you think Harry will be visiting? You said something about summer holidays," Remus questioned.

"Yeah, he seems pretty excited about coming, but we'll have to talk to Albus about it."

"When does his school let out?" Tala asked, completely confused.

"I think it's sometime at the end of June."

"He must love having you as a godfather."

"Who wouldn't?" he asked with a smirk. Tala shoved his shoulder.

"Well, because Remus never really told anyone about you, nobody was ever appointed godfather. What's it gonna be Remmy, am I her godfather too?" he asked eagerly.

Remus looked at him skeptically. "Well, I would have made you and James her godfathers and Lily her godmother, so I guess you are."

"Haha! You're stuck with me kid!" Sirius yelled as he pulled her into a one-armed hug. Tala and Remus laughed as they jumped on him, knocking him to the ground.

"Not fair! That's two against one!" he cried indignantly.

"It is so fair! I only count as half!" Tala laughed.

Remus looked at her, clearly confused. "Why do you only count as half?"

"Because I've been kept in a small cell for nine months and I'm weaker than a dead twig."

"Weaker than a dead twig?" Sirius said with a snort of laughter. "Where did you get that?" She shrugged. "Well, since you only count as a half, we need to feed you and make you a whole."

"Sounds good to me," she said with a smile. She walked with Remus and Sirius downstairs and into a dining room. The woman that was there from earlier smiled at them warmly, but Tala noticed that her eyes flicked with annoyance when she saw Sirius.

"Hello Tala dear, do you want something to eat? Stew perhaps?"

"I would love some, thank you."

"Very well dear, one moment." She disappeared into the kitchen area.

"Who was that?" Tala asked as they sat down at them empty table.

"Molly Weasley. She's Ron's mother, as well as Ginny's, Fred's, George's, Percy's, Bill's, and Charlie's," Remus said.

"Wow, lot's of children."

"Oh no," Sirius said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Wait until Fred and George find out about you. They'll go nuts," he mumbled as he folded his arms on the table and rested his face in them.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll be their new test subject."

Tala's eyes widened. "Test subject?" she stammered.

"Yeah, they just opened a joke shop and they're always looking for people to test their new products on."

She sighed. "Well, it's only a joke shop right? It can't be that bad."

"Oh, it can," Sirius groaned as Remus smiled. Tala was about to say something when the door opened again and two tall boys with flaming red hair and lots of freckles waltzed in.

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reviewing! I like this version loads better. -smiles- Sorry it took so long to update. I honestly have no excuse because it has been written for a couple of days now. Well, in other news, thanks again for reviewing!

My Thanks To...

**loonygrl90**: I am so glad that you like this one better! -laughs- I don't know about them being the worst evil... Voldemort is pretty evil... look at that, now I'm babbling. Sorry 'bout that. Thank you so much for the review!

**Saxifrage**: Um... no, sorry, she is Remus' daughter. I was trying to make it sound like they instantly got along, not that they were 'hitting it off'. Sorry 'bout that, didn't mean to be confusing... thanks for the review though!

**Dortha**: Hmm... well, in the older version, the girl's middle name was Tala, but I'm not sure if that is the one you are talking about. I've read a lot of stories where the girl is Sirius' daughter, but I haven't seen as many where the girl is Remus' daughter, and I love Remus, so hence the story. Thanks for the review!


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